Destination
Lunu Geya Cave
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For a small island, Sri Lanka has an impressive count of more than 103 rivers. Still, it was only in folklore that we have so far heard about a subterranean river. A close enough creation of nature, however, is found in the Nalanda area.
There is a small hillock 2 kilometers away from the Gedigeya. 20 meters up this hillock is the entrance to a mysterious cavern. One’s first impression on arrival is a mixture of intrigue, awe, wonder and adventure.
Known among locals as Lunu Geya, this cavern is situated by the river Amban Ganga, on the border of the Bowatenne Reservoir. The cave begins about 15 feet below ground level.
You can descend into the cave through any one of four small gaps, all covered with shrubbery and rocks. The mouth of the cave widens as you go deeper, where you can see more horizontal tunnels branching out. Darkness reigns all over the tunnels, eroded by waters that had flowed through them for millennia.
The exact length of the main horizontal tunnel running southward from the cave entrance is still unknown. According to one view, this was a site where workers mixed minerals to make gunpowder during the Vijayabahu and Parakramabahu Eras.
Soldiers’ camps of King Dutugemunu’s Era, situated near the ancient Gedigeya, are seen near this cave as well. Seen across the river is Akarahaduwa, a Gabada Gama which serves the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
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